PLANS to develop Bishop's Stortford's Rhodes Museum and Centre will remain uncertain until later this year, when the Heritage Lottery Fund decides whether to grant further funding.

The centre has already received about £440,000 for planned new-build and refurbishment work estimated to cost £2.2m. The development will increase the size of the centre two-fold.

Bishop's Stortford Town Council has voted to contribute £60,000 to the project during the next financial year.

East Herts District Council has also agreed to partner the Heritage Lottery Fund effort in principle, but only once the fund comes up with the rest of the money.

Centre chairman of trustees and Bishop's Stortford mayor Jan Richardson said the proposed development would fall through unless the lottery fund came up with the extra £550,000 required, later this year.

She said: "We've only got one stage of the funding up and running, and the work is very much hand and glove. So if we don't get the extra funding it could all fall through."

She added that the development would provide much-needed exhibition and hall space at the most important arts complex in East Herts.

Town councillor and Business Link manager Les Pinnell said he was very much in favour of the council's decision to fund the complex.

He said: "It's a 1960s building which needs to be updated to 2001."

The planned extension will include a foyer with cafe and retail shop, a dance studio, performance hall, and temporary exhibition space.